Brush with air discharge



BRUSH WITH AIR DISCHARGE Filed March 29, 1968 Fl (5. I

I MMWWM I v 55 ssbX I 360 I FIG.2 Ur" I2 l4 I IS IN ENTOR H GERALDINE SWALTERS United States Patent 3,538,617 BRUSH WITH AIR DISCHARGE Geraldine S. Walters, 3813 Louis Road, Palo Alto, Calif. 94303 Filed Mar. 29, 1968, Ser. No. 717,197 Int. Cl. A45d 20/00 US. Cl. 34-97 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A brush having a body provided with a plurality of bristles secured to an outer surface thereof. The body has means for directing a flow of air outwardly of the body and onto a mass of hair or hair-like material immediately after the bristles have passed through the hair mass. The direction of the air flow is such as to provide a lifting and drying effect on the hair. Preferably, the air is heated and an external source of heated air can be coupled to the brush for providing the heated air flow therefor.

This invention relates to improvements in brushes and more particularly, to a brush for providing a flufiy character to a mass of hair or hair-like material.

The brush of the present invention is adapted to direct a flow of air or other suitable fluid onto a mass of hair or hair-like material immediately after the bristles of the brush have passed therethrough with the direction and configuration of the air flow being such as to provide a lifting action for the hair strands previously contacted by the bristles. Such air flow also has a drying action so that the lifting and drying elfects render the hair fiuffy and airy, which effects are enhanced if the hair is previously heated before it is discharged onto the hair.

While the present invention is adapted for a number of different uses where hair or hair-like material is to be made fluffy or airy, it is particularly suitable for use in the grooming of dogs, particularly poodles, Whose hair is such that matting or snarling of the hair strands occurs quite easily and remains in such condition unless the hair is continually brushed. Poodle owners oftentimes spend hours brushing the hair of their dogs with conventional brushes, such as in preparation for shows or after the dogs have been bathed. Even after a poodle has been extensively brushed, its hair becomes matted again in a relatively short time, even within a matter of several hours, and the brushing process again is requiredto improve the appearance of the dog. This is probably due to the fact that the hair strands retain moisture which causes the strands to adhere to each other or at least to remain close together with the strands being quite flexible due to the softening effects of the moisture on the strands. Thus, there is a greater tendency for the hair strands to become entertwined with each other and thereby to become matted or snarled. This matted condition of the hair results in an unkempt appearance for the dog and, if brushing is delayed for long periods, it requires considerable eflort when it is done.

The present invention avoids the problems associated with the brushing of hair with conventional brushes by providing an improved brush which operates to aerate and effectively lift and dry the strand of a mass of hair or hair-like material immediately after the bristles of the brush unit have passed therethrough. This lifting and drying process leaves the hair fluffy and airy and soft to the touch, a highly desirable aim, for instance, where dogs and especially poodles are concerned. Such a fluffy and airy condition of the hair, as achieved by the use of the present invention, remains for relatively long periods of time so that brushing of the hair need be done only at relatively infrequent intervals to maintain an attractive appearance for the hair.

The brush unit of the present invention is constructed in a manner such that it will not injure the dog when the hair of the dog is being brushed even though the air directed onto the hair is heated. The invention lends itself to the use of portable hot air sources such as those used with hair dryers having hoods for placement on the head and which can be easily carried from place to place.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a brush having means for directing a flow of air or other suitable fluid onto a mass of hair or hair-like material after the bristles of the brush have passed therethrough, whereby the air flow will lift the hair strands and thereby give a fluffy and airy characteristic to the hair or hairlike material.

Another object of this invention is to provide a hair brush of the type described which has a fluid-receiving chamber thereon with the chamber having a rearwardly disposed fluid discharge outlet for directing heated air toward, onto and between the hair strands immediately after the bristles of the brush pass therethrough to impart a lifting action as Well as a drying action to the hair strands to provide a desired flufiiness for the hair.

A further object of this invention is to provide a brush of the aforesaid character which is used in combination with a hot air source for providing a lifting and drying effect to render the hair fluffy and airy and to avoid a matted condition of the hair for relatively long periods of time.

Other objects of this invention will become apparent as the following specification progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawing for an illustration of an embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section and block form, of the brushing apparatus of this invention; and

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the brush unit of the apparatus looking in the direction of line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

The brush unit of this invention is broadly denoted by the numeral 12 and includes a hollow body 14 having an outer surface 16 provided with a plurality of bristles 18 secured thereto and extending outwardly therefrom. Body 14 may be of any desired configuration and can be formed from any suitable material, such as plastic, metal, wood or the like. Also, bristles 18 can be of any shape and can be formed of metal, nylon or other suitable bristle material. The bristles will be preferably embedded in the body in any well-known manner to allow for some pivotal displacement of the bristles relative to the body. For purposes of illustration only, outer surface 16 is convex and bristles 18 are generally of the same length. Thus, the tips of the bristles forma convex configuration which permits the brush unit, during use, to be tilted to a greater or lesser degree so that a rocking brush stroke can be used at localized areas of a hair mass, if desired.

The interior of body 14 comprises a fluid-receiving chamber 20 for receiving air or other suitable fluid under pressure and for allowing such pressurized air to exit from body 14 through an outlet 26. While a source of pressurized air can be carried by brush unit 12, either exteriorly or interiorly of chamber 20, such a source is shown in FIG. 1 as being independent and exteriorly of brush unit 12 and denoted broadly by the number 27. To accommodate an external air source, body 14 has a tubular handle 22 secured thereto and extending outwardly therefrom. The inner end of handle 22, thus, defines a fluid inlet for body 14. A conduit 29 interconnects source 27 and handle 22 and may be a flexible hose 31 to facilitate the movement of brush unit 12 relative to source 27 Outlet 26 is in the form of a slot which extends the full width of the bank of bristles 18 as shown in FIG. 2. Also, outlet 26 is located adjacent to one extremity of body 14 to direct air outwardly of body 14 and at an angle away from bristles 18. Arrow 28 indicates the direction of discharge of air from chamber 20 and it can be seen that the discharged air will have a lifting effect on the adjacent hair strands as bristles 18 move in a forward direction indicated by arrow 32 through a hair mass 34. Thus, outlet 26 is adjacent to the normally rearmost extremity of brush unit 12 with respect to its normally forward direction of travel, indicated by arrow 32. Outlet 26 is thereby in trailing relationship to bristles 18.

While handle 22 is shown as being located in advance of body 14, it can be at other locations as well, such as being attached to one of the side walls of body 14, i.e., disposed at an angle of 90 to the position shown in FIG. 1. The primary factor is that bristles 18 be in advance of slot 26 so that the air issuing from the interior of body 14 will act upon the hair strands previously combed or brushed by the bristles. Moreover, connections to a portable hot air source other than through a tubular handle as shown in FIG. 1 can be used, if desired.

Source 27 can be of any suitable construction and can be portable or stationary, as desired. A source suitable for this purpose is the type of hot air source utilized with portable hair dryers having controls providing for two or more different operating temperatures and which can be carried from place to place. While in most cases, hot air will be the medium for lifting and drying the hair strands, it is within the scope of the present invention to utilize other fluids which are considered suitable for this purpose.

Source 27 will generally be motor-driven and will normally require attachment to a source of electrical power, such as a common wall outlet. Also, a switch will be provided as part of source 27 to operate the same. The flexibility of hose 31 will preferably be suflicient to permit unencumbered movement of brush unit 12 without necessarily having to move source 27.

In use, brush unit 12 is attached by hose 31 to source 27 and the latter is actuated so that heated air is forced into chamber 20 of body 14. The pressurized air in the chamber will exit therefrom through slot 26 and the brushing of hair or hair-like material can commence at any time after the air flow out of slot 26 has been established.

The user then draws the brush through the hair in the direction of arrow 32 by short or long strokes depending upon the length of the hair mass to be brushed.

In FIG. 1, the hair strands yet to be brushed are denoted by the numeral 3611. For purposes of illustration only, these strands are intertwined with each other or otherwise oriented so that they give an unsightly or unkempt appearance to the hair. These are the strands which are to be brushed and to be made flufiy and airy by the action of brush unit 12.

Strands 36b are the strands of hair which are presently being brushed by bristles 18. These strands are bent over and are somewhat parallel to the direction of movement of the brush due to the brushing action of the bristles themselves. This action removes the kinks or snarls in the hair and orients the hair strands so that they will be in position to be lifted by the discharging air from slot 26 after continued movement of brush unit 12 in the direction of arrow 32.

Strands 36c represent the hair strands which have previously been contacted by bristles 18 and are now being subjected to the lifting and drying effects of the heated air discharged from slot 26. The inclination of the air flow, as represented by arrow 28, causes this lifting effect and the heated condition of the air causes the drying effect. Without the heat, the air would, of course, have a drying effect due to evaporation but the drying effect is enhanced if the air is heated.

The heated air discharged from slot 26 dries the strands of hair as it lifts them and the result is that the hair becomes fluffy and airy as indicated by the strands at the left-hand side of FIG. 1. This fluffy and airy characteristic of the hair is probably due to the removal of moisture from the strands of the hair while they are lifted so that that there will be a minimal tendency for the hair strands to adhere to each other or to become attracted to each other due to the cohesive forces of moisture on the strands, Also, by drying the hair, the hair strands become less flexible to minimize the tendency for the hair strands to become matted or intertwined. The flulfy and airy characteristic of the hair remains for long periods of time so that brushing is only required at relatively infrequent intervals.

The foregoing manner of using brush unit 12 has been found very satisfactory for grooming poodles so that their hair remains soft to the touch and quite presentable for show purposes and the like. In the case of poodles, they ordinarily require brushing with conventional brushes for one or two hours every day in order to maintain their appearance. However, with the brush unit of the present invention, such frequent brushing is not required and a poodle can go for several days or more without being brushed. For dog owners who are very meticulous in maintaining a pleasing appearance for their dogs, this feature represents a desired end in itself because time and effort heretofore expended in keeping up the appearance of a poodle can now be utilized for other purposes.

While the present invention has been described with respect to the brushing of hair, it is to be noted that it can be used for brushing other material which is hairlike in construction. For instance, it may be utilized for brushing fur pieces, such as mink coats or the like, and can be used to fluff out bathroom rugs or the like which have a yarn-like or hair-like construction.

The temperature of the air of source 27 can be regulated to give desired results without injuring a dog or harming a material. The greater the temperature, however, the greater the drying effect.

While one embodiment of this invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications of this device can be made without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A brush unit comprising: a body having a plurality of bristles secured thereto and extending outwardly therefrom, said body having a chamber for receiving a fluid under pressure and an outlet for directing a flow of fluid outwardly of the chamber, said outlet having a flow axis diverging from and forming an angle with adjacent bristles ot cause a fluid issuing from the outlet to be directed onto a mass of hair after said bristles have been moved through the hair mass whereby said fluid flow will be in a direction to provide at least a partial lifting effect of the hair of said mass.

2. A brush unit comprising: a hollow body having a plurality of bristles secured thereto and extending outwardly therefrom, said body having an air outlet disposed adjacent to one extremity of the body, said outlet having a flow axis diverging from and forming an angle with adjacent bristles and being located in a position to direct a flow of air out of the body and toward and into a mass of hair after the bristles have passed therethrough to cause a lifting of the hair of said mass previously contacted by the bristles so that the hair mass will be rendered fluffy by the action of the air flowing thereinto.

3. A brush unit as set forth in claim 2, wherein said outlet comprises a slot extending along the body adjacent to the normally rearmost extremity of bristles with respect to the normally forward direction of travel of the body, the slot being disposed to render said path angularly disposed relative to said forward direction of travel.

4. A brush unit as set forth in claim 2, wherein said body is provided with a tubular handle communicating with the interior of the body to define said inlet, said body adapted to be coupled to a source of heated air under pressure.

5. A brush unit as set forth in claim 2, wherein said body has a normally forwardmost extremity and a normally rearmost extremity, said outlet being adjacent to said rearmost extremity, said bristles being movable through a hair mass with said forwardmost extremity in advance of said rearmost extremity.

6. A brush unit as set forth in claim 2, wherein said bristles are disposed widthwise across said body with reference to its normally forward direction of travel, said outlet having a length substantially equal to the Width of the region of the body in which the bristles are disposed.

7. Hair brush apparatus comprising: a brush unit having a hollow body provided with a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet and having a plurality of bristles secured thereto and extending outwardly therefrom, said outlet being disposed adjacent to one extremity of the body, said outlet having a flow axis diverging from and forming an angle with adjacent bristles and being located in a position to direct a fluid out of the body and toward and onto a mass of hair after the bristles have passed through said hair mass with the direction of the air flow being toward the hair and away from the bristles so as ot cause a lifting of the strands of the air mass, whereby the hair will be lifted by the force of the fluid; a source of air under pressure; and means interconnecting said inlet and said source, whereby fluid will be directed into the body for discharge through said orifice.

8. Apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein said source has means for heating the air in the air flow generated thereby.

9. Apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein said interconnecting means includes a flexible hose.

10. Apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein said body has a tubular handle providing the fluid inlet therefor, said interconnecting means being coupled to the outer end of the handle.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 976,141 11/1910 Beckwith 11993 3,145,691 8/1964 Yates. 3,386,185 6/1968 Angelillo 34-97 FREDERICK L. MATTERN, JR., Primary Examiner H. B. RAMEY, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 11993; 132-9 

